You Can Change
by MissGoose
Summary: Yuffie's wedding closed the doors from her past and opened doors for her future. She grew up as the five years passed since she fought with her friends against Deepground. Her father was long gone and he chose a young man to be her husband. Luckily, she was in love with the man he chose. True love appeared to be something more thank make believe.
1. Chapter 1

**I have no clue as to how this story is going to play out. All I have figured is the beginning and that's even just a run of what popped into my head. This could be a super long tale or this could be short. I'm hoping for a longer story, but no promises. This will be a challenge and I'm excited!**

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**Disclaimer:**I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. This is only a fan story written by an adoring fan of the Vincent &amp; Yuffie paring!

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Chapter One

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The young princess smiled to her people as she stood on the top of the stairways. She was standing in place to do everything she never said she would do. In fact, as a young child she thought the idea was ludicrous and a way of life holding their continent back in time. As she grew she began to see her belief proving itself to be true as well as allowing her to accept its old age. The tradition was sweet and kept her home strong in its own way. Time was upon her to change and she was ready to take on the challenge.

Yuffie looked away from the crowd of people and straight into her fiancé's eyes. His hair was as dark as the night and his skin tan from his hard work with the many people around. He helped in the fields of their country as well as helped to polish their laws and regulations. It was no surprise Yuffie was able to fall in love with the man. Even if the marriage was arranged by her late father.

"Sir Godo Kisaragi placed his blessings with me for the best wishes on this wedding," the man standing as lead in the ceremony said and closed the book he had been reading from. "He would like to thank Sir Derran Fujisha for taking his daughter with happiness and love. We all wish you the best in your lives. I am happy to conduct this ceremony to a close! Sir Fujisha, please kiss your bride!"

Derran pulled Yuffie by her shoulders to complete the final stage of their marriage. His actions were fast and his kiss was sweet. It was everything a woman could dream about. Shouts of happiness and cheers of joy sounded in their audience. The ceremony wasn't a traditional wedding as her father would have preferred, but this way of moving forward only sealed their promises for future changes. Tears of joy fell from Yuffie's eyes as the kiss came to a close.

"I love you, Yuffie," Derran whispered as they each signed a paper confirming their marriage. This would officially sign Derran over to be the leader of Wutai with Yuffie by his side.

"I love you too," she responded with a smile filled with pure happiness. Ruling with such a wonderful man by her side didn't seem like such a bad way to move forward.

The new couple walked down the small pathway left open thanks to the guards standing in place. They walked down and smiled as they waved to their people. Yuffie was no longer the princess of their land and it was time to act more like a queen they expected her to become. No matter how much she wanted the pressure to go away.

"I have a surprise for you before we leave," Derran said as they waited to board their beautiful car for their short vacation. They were allowed to have a honeymoon to celebrate, but they could only allow their time away for two nights. It wasn't a glamorous celebration. It would be short and simple.

"I still can't believe the kid did it," a familiar voice said with a smile obvious in the tone.

Yuffie spun around in a circle and was greeted by a hug from the one and only Cid Highwind. More hugs were brought to her from Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart, Cloud Strife, Reeve Tuesti, Shelke Rui, and even Vincent Valentine gave her a hug to congratulate her. She smiled at each face she missed every day since their battles had ended.

"It's been almost five years," she said and gave a special smile to Vincent. He was the main player in their last battles together. The time they helped one another in all their fights was precious to her. She could remember all the jokes, all the missions they paired off in and all the serious talks they held. Their talks never got too deep. Yuffie was sure she knew more about him than the rest of their gang. The same could be said about his knowledge on her. "How are you feeling, Vince?"

"Much better since we last saw one another," he said looking down to her and taking everything in. She wore a beautiful, long light yellow dress with simple silver jewelry to customize her appearance fully. There was never a time in their past he could recall her ever looking more stunning. It was a shock to meet the women she kept hidden for all those years. "You look great."

Yuffie blushed and shook her head in a giving up motion. She knew things were touch and go between them in the beginning. Half the time she was too busy picking on him to recognize his amazing patience with her. He learned to let her jokes go without a comment in return. It annoyed her when he stopped reacting, at first. But then she knew it was a way of acceptance. She looked over to her husband with a kind smile. She could never tease Derran the way she could tease Vincent Valentine.

"Beautiful, Vincent," Tifa said stepping forward one more time to kiss Yuffie on her cheek. "I think you mean beautiful."

Hugs were given once again before she climbed into the wedding cab they rented for their travels to the ocean. Yuffie stumbled upon the idea when an ad was delivered to their home through their junk mail. Her intensions were to throw the ad away, but it seemed too promising to miss the rare opportunity. They needed to find a short vacation and it all seemed too perfect to pass up the opportunity for a 48 hour boat cruise. Getting lost in the ocean was all she could dream of doing. There wasn't much more to make the ending of their ceremony any better.

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Vincent could not imagine anything worse to happen then what his group of friends were currently facing. Wutai was strict on interviews of their rulers and protected them to the very core. The same couldn't be said for the well-known Avalanche group. Wherever they went so did at least fifteen news reporters. It wasn't a joyous part of their lives, but it was what they got for saving the world so many times.

"Are you happy for your young partner?" a man in a fancy suit asked him as the others were also dodging questions as best as they could. It was requested of them to share as little as possible about the full ceremony. A request the head people did not need to make. They would want to do anything but spread news around about Yuffie's happy time.

"I am very pleased to have seen her smiling through the entire ceremony. I believe she will be very satisfied with Sir Fujisha," Vincent said catching the other members finally being released from their interviews. He could not figure why the man before him wouldn't finish. It appeared he enjoyed the sound of his voice a little too much.

"Only satisfied? Don't you think there will be utter joy in her life now?" he asked raising his eyebrows while looking into the camera.

Vincent only smiled because he could not be fooled. If they wanted deep tales they would need to work a little harder. "If anyone knows Yuffie, they know she is almost always filled with joy. It's hard to find a day when she isn't laughing about something."

"Ah, but the rumors through the city say you have not seen her for many years. How can you be sure she is truly as happy as she was when her time was spent with you?" he asked with a fake look of sadness on his face. And there it was. That was the story they were trying to work around. A fake tale of love between the ninja and gunslinger.

Vincent let out a small smirk he could no longer hide since he abandoned his cloak after their Deepground battles. "I believe that happiness was more for a couple of friends. You could even call us siblings if it tickles your fancy. Our relationship was never something more. Thank you for talking to me. Have a great day."

He stepped away from the interview and joined his group of smiling friends. The jokes were dancing in their eyes. But they were smart enough to hold off their laughter until they were away from the cameras and out of sight of the large city.

"Well, I wonder what his big story is going to be about," Tifa said with a smirk. "Vincent and Yuffie, huh? Who would have pieced that one together?"

"It makes sense when you think about it," Shelke said catching many confused eyes. They knew she was grasping at straws. "The two fighters whom only joined the Avalanche team by pure chance. A couple always paired together when the team was forced to divide. Not to mention her heavy help when Vincent took on my old team."

Silence followed her words. There wasn't a way to fight off the ideas she spilled out. It would be simple to think those two would pull together with everything they went through. The many times Yuffie picked on Vincent over anyone else in their group. How Vincent was often spotted talking to her with an expression much more than a glare. Maybe Shelke wasn't stretching her mind out too far.

"Vincent, how do you feel about Yuffie?" Tifa asked when they reached Cid's airship. Every member stopped to face him and take in his answer. He only wished to go home and get some rest. It appeared they were not going anywhere until he answered their questions.

"What I told the reporter was completely true. We were always friends and nothing more," he said and looked to each face as he spoke.

"I asked how you felt about her. She's been married and taken away from us. In a way, we'll never see the same Yuffie ever again," Tifa said.

"She's grown up and has changed. It's been a long time since the last time I saw her, but my feelings remain the same," Vincent said facing Tifa. If she wanted the answer he would give it to her. "The things Yuffie needs are not the things I would give her. I have too much on my mind and too much in my past to threaten the idea of something more forming between the two of us. No matter how wonderful my heart may believe it would be."

Reeve gave a smile and squeezed Shelke's shoulder. Cloud took a hold of Tifa's hand. Barret shook his head while Cid ran off a couple of curses. It appeared some were not surprised by his words while others were in near denial.

"Can we head out now? I'm ready to end this day and crawl into bed," Vincent said and pushed by the group to board the ship. He held the truth inside his head and kept the ever threatening feelings buried in his heart. Only a couple questions and it was all thrown in his face. His love for Yuffie was not something he could not allow himself to chase or dream about. She now belonged to another man and he knew all too well how the battle could play out if he fought to change it.

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**Well, Vincent is the first to openly admit to his feelings! It took me a while to dish through this idea and get a proper start to the tale. I can't believe how well this played out, in my opinion. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This has been a lot of fun coming up with Chapter Two. I hope you enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer****:**I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. This is only a fan story written by an adoring fan of the Vincent &amp; Yuffie paring!

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Chapter Two

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Vincent Valentine was not a man of many words and the rest of the evening spent with his celebrating friends only proved the fact more than ever before. He could only sit in the booth and watch as the rest of the group told stories from the past. Most featured the crazy antics of the young ninja they once knew. He thought back to her tiny being throwing her Conformer around like it wasn't a heavy, sharp weapon. Or the many times she left them all in shock because of some stupid comment she made. Yuffie was always a special being in their group of friends.

"What's up, Vincent?" Tifa asked and sat across from him. Unlike all the others, Tifa knew she needed to work through problems with Vincent a bit differently. If she charged at him for answers and explanations he would run away and lock himself up. The best method was to ask and wait. He would let her know the answer when he was ready. It could be in another five minutes or another five days. The possibilities were endless.

"I regret not going with you guys," he said. He was happy she waited to comment on his simple words. It was how they worked together and how their conversations got done. "When you and Cloud went to meet Yuffie and her fian-…husband when they first became engaged. I didn't want to see what I had let go. If I would have gone…"

Tifa smiled and placed her hand gently on his with a soft tap. "You could have stopped this disaster from ever happening. She loved you Vincent more than she will ever love Derran. Sadly, it took you a moment too long to admit to the feelings in return."

Vincent took in a slow breath and sipped a bit from his drink. "That may be so but I still wish for her happiness. Do you think she'll be happy with this man?"

Tifa couldn't prevent the smile from appearing on her face as she thought back to the moment they first met the man. He had held her hand like the princess she truly was and obviously wished for the support and acceptance of her dear friends. His heart was all for Yuffie without a doubt in Tifa's mind. "I think he will take care of her just fine and I think we are lucky to have such a kind man taking your place." She looked away from his face with guilt. "You know that's all he is. He is only a temporary fill to cover the whole you left in her heart."

Vincent cringed with misery as Tifa walked away. Her words were cruel and heartless, but they were what he needed to hear. His mind was always so wrapped around protecting everyone else he never thought about himself. It was never time for him to admit to wanting more than a best friend or little sister. No, he wanted love from Yuffie more than he wanted anything he could ever dream up. And that was saying something.

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Yuffie felt Derran's thumb rub against the back of her hand as they waited for their driver to fill up their vehicle on fuel before they continued their journey. They were only an hour away from their dream destination and Yuffie was ready to be done in the car. She didn't get motion sickness as she once had when she was younger. There was no cure reasoning behind her miraculous cure. It was possibly her grown age or maybe her stomach was now able to fight off the sickness she used to always battle. She laid her head to the side of Derran's shoulder and felt him kiss the top of her head.

Yes, this was what women always dreamed about. Finding a sweet, caring and handsome man to pick her off her feet. To carry her away and give her happiness no other person could ever touch. Create stories filled with bliss and perfection only as a couple they could find. It was a fantasy only a few women ever got to touch.

But no, Yuffie did not feel like she was one of those women. He was sweet, caring and handsome like many would hope. He always carried her away with amazing surprises and gifts of happiness. They held many stories that made her smile and feel happy inside. The only problem was none of it was done in the right way.

Yuffie was not a typical woman looking to be bought with jewels and pearls. She needed adventures and fun to get through each day. The new job brought on challenges she promised to face in the name of her father but only if she could get a hold of something to laugh at when it was all completed. Growing up was what she needed to do but she refused to have a stick up her butt like some vampire she used to know.

"What are you laughing about, my dear?" Derran asked in response to her sudden chuckle.

"Remember Vincent?" she asked thinking back to his handsome attire at their wedding.

Derran's body tensed for such a quick second she wasn't sure if she really felt him react in such a way. It was possible he only moved to make their position more comfortable. Nothing to worry about. "I remember him. Long, black hair almost like mine, correct?"

"Yeah," Yuffie said. Their hair was the same color but not the same length. Vincent's was much longer and she knew it was much softer due to the few times she was able to touch the strands. "Whenever we first met him I didn't really trust him. He scared me to death and I was almost fully convinced he was a vampire."

Derran laughed in reaction to his story. "Not often you see a man so pale. What convinced you, you were wrong? For all we know he could be a blood sucking vampire."

Yuffie giggled and turned her face into his chest. She covered her mouth waiting for her laughter to die down. "It took a lot of work for the joke to die away, but the many times he saved my life sort of play on his side."

"Then I suppose I should thank the man for allowing me the opportunity to find my wonderful bride," he said and kissed the top of her head yet again. "If he didn't save you then where would I be?"

"I don't want to know," Yuffie said. They looked to one another with happy smiles. Their smiles were happy until a loud pop sounded outside the car. Glass from the driver's side shattered into the car. Suddenly, the vehicle began to swerve out of control and head straight for the edge of the steep hill their road was on. "Gerald has been shot!"

Derran reached around and worked to take control of the wheel. It was a battle to reach the wheel with Gerald's body in his way. Gerald's foot was locked on the gas as planned and nothing could wiggle him free. Derran heard a small, evil laugh sound in his head. He did his best to appear in control of the situation. Timing needed to be right for everything to play out exactly as planned. He swerved the car as if there was no way for him to find total control.

"Derran! We should just jump out!" Yuffie yelled.

"That's the plan," he said with an evil smile. He gave the wheel a hard twist to the right and jumped out the passenger door on his left. As he rolled on the ground he listened to the crashing noises below as the car plummeted down the steep edge. The only things below were trees and a large river. If the woman didn't die on the trip down through the trees the hard hit into the water would be her end. Wutai was his to control from that moment on. He cleared his throat and took out his cell phone to make the call. It was answered quickly. "Hurry! Hurry! We've been in an accident! I don't know if Yuffie is alright! I'm injured myself! Hurry!" He took out the battery from his cell phone to kill the line and tossed them both over the edge of the road behind Yuffie.

Darren gave an evil smile into the distance then moved to stand on his feet with a deep breath. He took out a knife and held it over his leg. Through many studies and hidden help he was able to make perfect cuts against his leg. Blood began to seep from the wounds. There was enough to give his clothing some nasty stains but nothing strong enough to end his life. A lot of actions needed to take place if he wanted out of the situation completely free.

When he cleared his mind of his pain, the knife was also tossed with little care where his cell phone was sent. Obviously, he didn't need to keep the weapon causing the pain to his body. All that was left was for him to sit back in hopes they would find him without much trouble. Their destination was planned out plenty of time before the vacation appeared and a few of his loyal men knew the true actions they would take. Everything was laid out perfectly for him to succeed.

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**Bum! Bum! Baaa! What do you think of this twist in plans? This chapter was short but in my opinion, something big was bound to happen and didn't need never ending details. But I'm pretty excited with the way it moved. My heart was racing as I wrote and reread the chapter. What do you think happened to Yuffie? Ah, the possibilities add up! Reviews are a great thing! ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I would like to thank CupofTeaforAliceandHatter for all the wonderful reviews and support through this new story idea. ****You've****made me even more excited to write each chapter. And away we go!**

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**Disclaimer****:**I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. This is only a fan story written by an adoring fan of the Vincent &amp; Yuffie paring!

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Chapter Three

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Pieces of the many trees the car slammed through were sticking out in random places and pinning the young thief in the vehicle. Her mind spun in circles while blood dripped from the new cuts all over her body. The terror from the fall was barely visible in her memory. There was no precise way for her to tell how long she had been knocked out. It could have been hours or it could have been days. The only promising factor was she was alive. Trapped inside a cage of beaten metal but alive.

Yuffie groaned as she turned her head to the opposite side of the car. Oddly enough, the vehicle landed on the passenger side door and if she could find a way to bust out of the other side she would be free. The only problem was her left shoulder being knocked out of place and the broken bones she could feel in her left foot. If she wanted to get out it was going to be extremely painful. Deep down she knew the pain of escaping would be nothing compared to the pain of waiting in her deathtrap for someone to find her.

"This is nothing compared to Sephiroth," she said glaring at the door. Then realization hit her. She looked around the floor of the car where her feet were supposed to be resting. She cursed as she saw what she was searching for just out of her reach. Inside her white purse was a few items Yuffie kept on her at all time. The most important being most of her prized, mastered materia. Not to brag, but almost all of her materia was mastered. But there were a few she put all of her pride in. A soft ring sounded and she cursed yet again. She also kept her cell phone on her. That gift was a relatively new purchase she almost always forgot about. "Don't hang up! Don't hang up!"

A cry of agony and pain escaped her mouth as she put weight on her broken foot. Breaking bones in her foot was possibly the worst case scenario she could have been placed with. What kind of ninja could function with a busted up foot. With a heavy curse even Cid would blush to hear out of her mouth she leapt over the seats in front of her. She grabbed her purse and took out the phone. It wasn't a call. Only a text message. A text message was better than nothing. It was from Tifa.

_Yufs, please tell us you're alright_.

Yuffie looked at the calendar date on her phone's screen. It appeared she had been missing for three days already. It hurt her to think no one thought to search the forest for her. Truth be told, she had no idea how large the area she was lost in. There was a possibility someone was out looking for her. How long would they look before they gave up and wrote her off as dead?

_Teef, he sent me over the edge of a road. I'm in some wooded area and I can't get out of the car. I'm trapped until someone saves me._

Yuffie sat on the door under her and gently chewed on her bottom lip. She opened her purse and glared at the mastered heal glowing inside. It wasn't need because she wasn't ill exactly. Too bad there wasn't anything for broken bones. Her phone buzzed again.

_Derran has been placed in control of Wutai. Honestly, he isn't doing a bad job._

_He can have it. Do you know a way to get me out of am I SOL?_

_Ha, already on is sister. Stay calm and relax. We'll get you._

Yuffie rolled her eyes and glared at the door above her. It was easier said than done. There was never a time when Yuffie Kisaragi was known to be patient. She flipped through the materia until she found a mastered materia of Morph. It was a shot in the dark, but she was used to it. Time to see how lucky she truly was. With careful aim, she sent the command to the doors above her and gasped as the metal exploded all around her. It turned to a pile of much unneeded Gil. She giggled because she could recall how often she received great items from the materia. It appeared there wasn't any items she truly needed other than money.

"A couple of crutches would have been nice," she groaned. She put her arms behind her and pulled her body back with her arms. When she reached a large tree she leaned back ready to sit and wait. As much as she wanted to do more it would be pointless. Too much movement would cause her body further harm. If her friends found her as a dead body then it would be slightly counterproductive. It was frustrating being so useless at such a tragic time. At least the forest appeared peaceful. A crack sounded a short distance away.

"Damn my luck," Yuffie grumbled as a small Jayjujayme wiggled out from behind a large tree. They were cute in a special way, but nasty worm creatures at the same time. They weren't strong compared to the beasts she fought in her history, but with a busted up foot and not weapons there wasn't much she could do against the enemy. "Go away little guy. I mean you know harm."

The worm paused for a moment and appeared to take in her words. It made an odd grumbling noise and wobbled away. Yuffie couldn't believe her luck but she knew it was running thin. Tifa needed to get things settled soon. Her phone buzzed as it gave out a cry with its remaining life. All of Yuffie's life was now placed in the hands of her dear friends. Nothing could be scarier than waiting in the unknown. Time was not on her side.

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Vincent hopped off his bike and ran into Reeve's building. It was the location of all the offices and private studies done by the WRO group. A building Vincent normally felt uncomfortable walking through thanks to his old memories, but priorities called for him to get over the feelings. He needed to learn what they planned on doing to save Yuffie. If he had any choice he would already be on the road to find her, but there was no way to know where she was left behind.

"Took you long enough," Cid grumbled chewing on a toothpick. His cigarette addiction was cut back, but only by enough to keep Shera off his back. "Thought you would be the first one here after your declaration of love."

Vincent sent a glare to Tifa and she raised her hands in innocence. The chances of her spilling his words were slim, but she wasn't known to keep the good tales quiet.

"I overheard," Cid said with a smirk. "You aren't as quiet as you think you are, old man. So, what's going on with our little punk?"

Reeve looked over to Tifa and she stood to explain. It wasn't common for them to gather at the WRO building. Since a lot of time had passed by since their battles against Deepground there wasn't much they still held. Control and communication with the outside world was one of them. The Avalanche group was famous and well known. True. That did not mean they held access to everything throughout the world.

"I sent Yuffie a text after Derran made his cry for help to find her. The fact he only allowed his people to go on the search for her put up a red flag in my mind," she said as she paced. She wasn't as well in control of herself as she once had been. They all changed more than they expected in the years. "She didn't respond for days so I thought the worse. Early this morning she responded to my call. Guys, she's been trapped in a car for four days now. Reeve?"

"I was able to pinpoint her location to a large forest a short distance outside a small village. I wasn't able to hold a secure point because her phone is probably turned off or dead," he said rubbing his face. He looked around to his group of odd friends. "Guys, we need to team up one more time and save her. It can't be promised she's safe and no one knows what kind of injuries she's earned. We need to get there as fast as possible, but we can't let Derran or any of his people know something is up. If he knows we've been contacted by her it's done."

"Only a small group will go out then," Cloud said staring at his teammates with his leading, mako eyes. "We'll make it appear as a minor problem with monsters we've been sent out to handle. Vincent, Tifa and I will head out."

Reeve nodded his head in agreement. "I'll write up a false claim and have Shelke send it in from an unknown computer just in case Wutai's government tries to dig up more info. Wait until I give the okay to go out to get her. We'll get a private room set up here for her to hide when we find her. Getting her to safety is only step one of this mission."

"There's a lot we're going to have to clean up," Tifa said and groaned. She placed a hand over her stomach. "Cloud, I don't think I should go."

"But you're…" he looked at the way she held her stomach. "What's wrong?"

Tifa gave a small smile and guilt filled her from the happy face in such a sad time. "I found out yesterday I'm pregnant. We should probably send out someone else."

Words of congratulations were given along with hugs and handshakes. Vincent smiled for a second and leaned against the wall. Their plans would need to be adjusted with the situation. Tifa needed to be protected as much as they needed to get out and safe Yuffie's life.

"Cloud and I can go alone. The monsters in Wutai's woods aren't as harmful as this claim is going to state," Vincent said standing slowly. "In fact, if we send too large of a party that would bring the kind of attention we wouldn't want."

Cloud bobbed his head in agreement. "We'll keep pagers on us in case things get too crazy." Cloud walked over to Tifa and took her hands. "Tifa, I hope you know I'm thrilled and want to give our baby the life we never had. Peaceful and quiet. Once we settle this we'll be free of this hellish life."

Tifa smiled and shook her head. "Cloud, it's never going to end." She stood on her toes as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "You two better come back with our little girl safe and sound. Be careful."

Wishes were exchanged before Vincent and Cloud left. Both men felt their heavy hearts weigh in their chest. One worried about the life of a person yet known in their world while the other gave all of his worry to the woman well known and in trouble.

"Hey idiots!" Cid's voice called as he ran out of the building. "How do you plan on getting to Wutai on those hunks of metal?"

Cloud smiled at Vincent as they looked over to their motorcycles. "I guess the ocean would cause a slight problem."

"Follow me," Cid said shaking his head. "I'll drop you off."

As the three men headed to the landing location for Cid's airship a bird gave a silent call from the trees nearby. Its eyes were glowing orange and remained focused on them heading out. Their simple mission was not going to be as simple as they were lead to believe. Privacy was never a gift given to the heroes of any story.

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**Well, not a lot of adventure going on in this chapter but there is the good news of Yuffie surviving the horrendous crash! Due to personal experience, I know for a fact she most likely wouldn't be able to walk on a foot shattered, but she's stronger than me. ;) Hopefully, the men can get to her side soon! And the story is only getting more interesting after this!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Pretty icky outside today so I may get more than one chapter posted. We shall see.**

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**Disclaimer:**I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. This is only a fan story written by an adoring fan of the Vincent &amp; Yuffie paring!

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**Chapter Four**

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Vincent followed Cloud through the forest Reeve directed them to search. They took a bit of a scenic route to the area in wait for the call to begin the search. Shelke set the message to have been received only twenty minutes before they began to dig through the wooded area. It wasn't a spot on number, but it would work for the time being. Yuffie's safety was of their utmost importance.

A few monsters still claimed the forest as their home. According to the reports delivered by WRO soldiers there weren't many strong beasts left in the area and a majority had become very passive aggressive monsters. Chances were high Yuffie was carrying a bit of her materia on her being. There was even the possibility she got a hold of some of their own materia since they exchanged hugs and she was known for her quick hands. Thunder rumbled in the distance pulling Vincent out of his thoughts.

"Hopefully we can get her before the rain does," Vincent said looking to the sky. His well-trained attention caught the sight of a bird as black as the leather boots on his feet. Its orange eyes sent chills up his spine as he thought back to his time carrying Chaos. The bird met his stare then flew away. An odd sighting but not a priority at the moment. "How far in do you think she will be?"

Cloud looked around where they were. Their distance wasn't deep into the woods as of yet. He would guess they were only a quarter of the way into the trees. "If I were trying to get someone out of my hair I would place them deep into an area they are unfamiliar with. Yuffie was born in Wutai and spent a lot of her young years training to be a ninja. I can't say she's ever seen this forest before or not."

"Even if she did spend time in this area, things change," Vincent said looking at a bush of red roses. "These roses may never have grown in this area before and now they do. And who knows what has been destroyed by people or other creatures."

"Exactly," Cloud agreed. "If I wanted to get her taken care of and lost to the best of my ability I would put her in the spot middle. But according to Yuffie she tumbled down the side of the road. Assuming nothing is broken, I would hope she would travel against the road pathway to find her exit. Of course, she could be walking to the completely other side from us."

Vincent rolled his eyes and let out a breath. "As impossible as it may be, I hope she is just sitting there waiting for us without a problem in hand."

"It would make our lives a tad easier," Cloud said smiling.

They continued walking and looking around for any sign of Yuffie or the car she traveled in. No matter how hard they tried they knew they were like two blind men trying to find light. There was too much playing against them to feel secure as of yet. The sound of falling trees put Cloud and Vincent on hold as they listened to the oncoming noise.

From the area they left they could see trees shaking from the falling in their groups. Something large was coming without a care for the nature around them. The orange eyed bird swooped down in front of Vincent and called out. Its noise was similar to that of a call from a lion. This bird was not their friend.

"That looks like a bird I spotted earlier," Vincent said and took out Cerberus and hit the bird with one shot. "I think we've been followed to the area."

"Shit," Cloud growled and pulled his large sword from his back. He should have known they were jinxed to never hold a peaceful mission.

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Yuffie's stomach growled in pain as she continued to sit against the tree behind her. Her growl was answered by thunder in the skies. It was moving closer as time ticked by. She looked at the Gil piled next to her with a heavy glare. Everything inside the car was morphed with her use of her Morph materia. All she held to claim as her own were the clothes on her body and her purse in her hands.

_Where the hell are they?_ Yuffie tossed the last mint into her mouth from the shiny, blue container and threw the empty plastic at the tree nearest to her. If her foot hadn't been shattered during the trip she would have done what she could to meet them from where they entered. Sadly, there wasn't even a way to tell which section of the forest they were in.

"They better have food," Yuffie groaned and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Her wedding dress was covered in stains from the dirt she sat on. "It's getting cold, too!"

Another sound of thunder answered her words and rain began to fall around her. She cursed while looking around her place of rest for any form of protection. It appeared her section against the tree was her best bet. It wasn't perfect, but it was where she would be seated until someone could carry her away.

Years ago Yuffie could muscle up the strength and courage to crawl through the worst situations if it meant bettering herself. But her lack in training and discipline made her weak and pathetic to even her own eyes. The idea of walking on her injured foot was more terrifying than she cared to admit. It was sickening to know she allowed herself to grow so pathetic.

Nearby her hideout under the tree a stick broke. She looked up with a mixture of excitement and worry upon her face. Another stick sounded and excitement began to overpower her nerves. If it were someone looking to harm her they would need to be more precise on the amount of noise they were making. Any well trained soldier knew that.

"Cloud?! Tifa?! Anyone?!" Yuffie called out with a smile on her face.

"Not quite, my queen," a man dressed in all black and gray stepped into view. He looked her up and down while he licked his lips. He was getting off seeing the pain and dirt she was in. A coward of another kind. "We received information from a valuable source stating your survival. We needed to act soon before your friends could arrive."

He knelt down and reached for the back of her head. He took ahold of her hair and pulled it tightly so he could twist her face to his own. The kiss he forced onto her was heavy and dirty. Without success his tongue painted against her clenched teeth.

"Oh what a pity we couldn't have more fun," he said and threw her to the side by the hold of her hair. He moved to stand straight with a smile created by nightmares. "Sadly, once my men defeat those petty fools sent to find you it will be time to go. Without our queen because we could not find her amongst the rubble of the beaten car. Chances are she was crushed in the crash." He looked around to find the car was nowhere in sight. "Where is the vehicle anyway?"

Yuffie glanced to the pile of Gil a short distance away. She glared to the man. "If you would have studied your history about your young queen you would have learned about her odd obsession over materia. Luckily, I was carrying just what I needed to escape from the situation." She watched his eyes light up with desire and greed. He fell to his knees and began filling his pockets with what he could grab before the rest of his team met up with him. Yuffie held a glare against his back as he collected his reward. "And if you would have studied you may have learned more about my friends!"

He rolled his eyes and looked to his side. "What possibly could have benefited me doing that?"

"You would have known about Vincent's sick demons and how they seem to like me a hell of a lot better than you!" Yuffie shouted as the Galian Beast appeared next to the lousy soldier with a heavy growl. She closed her eyes as screams from the man ran out and the growls continued to sound.

"Yuffie, can you walk?" Cloud asked appearing next to her.

"No." She rolled her eyes and glanced to her foot. "My bones are pretty busted up in my left foot." Growls sounded and the screams from the soldier were no longer heard. The beast continued to tear at the man's body even after he was gone. "Cloud, carry me to him."

"What?" Cloud shook his head and refused.

"Damn it!" she groaned and pointed to Galian Beast. "We need to get Vincent back! His attack is done!"

"You know how that thing is. It's like the devil incarnate," Cloud said. He flinched as an arm was ripped from the man's body.

"Vincent Valentine! Get your ass over here and help me!" Yuffie shouted with a glare to the creature. She was ready to vomit at the bloody sight in front of them but her priorities were glued. "Come on! Grow up!"

Galian Beast turned its head and what appeared like a smile formed on its face. It dropped the man and walked to where they sat. It looked down at Yuffie and shook its head.

"**Only you hold this power I hope you know**," it said his words in a growl and collapsed as Vincent took form over the being. Vincent's eyes were sealed tight as he spoke. "Yuffie, are you alright?"

"Hurting like hell and you're just lying there ready for a nap." She looked over to Cloud as Vincent moved from his pathetic position on the ground. "Care to pick me up chocobo head? Places to be and a country to save."

"Not just yet," Vincent said. He picked up Yuffie making her yelp and grab the front of his shirt in fear of falling. "We fought off a group of men but a few ran away. Derran wasn't present in the fight. That means he is still in the leader's seat and he most likely has plans in the works."

"Whatever," Yuffie said and placed her head onto Vincent's chest. "Where am I going then?"

"I'm calling Reeve to send out a basic plane to pick us up. Too many people know Cid's ship and we don't want too much to get around before we're ready," Cloud said. He delivered their find to Reeve when he answered his phone.

"I'll send a ship out your way to pick you guys up. I have a room ready for Yuffie and a few men ready to be on her guard until we get this situation settled in Wutai," Reeve said.

"Like I'm going to let men protect me!" Yuffie shouted after hearing Reeve's words through the loud phone.

"Yuffie," Vincent groaned as they were nearing the edge of the forest. "Just do as we ask this _one_ time. Once we have this settled you can be on your marry way."

Yuffie giggled and hid her mouth in her hands. "Vinnie said marry."

Vincent rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smile on his face from her laugh. She wasn't completely there yet, but it seemed their Yuffie wasn't locked away too tightly. He would do whatever he could to get her back to her annoying, hunting, fighting, lovable, charming and laughing self. How he missed the Yuffie his heart held onto.

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**And she's safe! Can't wait to reveal what the team is going to do next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is long but my favorite so far. Keep reading to find out why. There is a small clip from 'Dirge of Cerberus' placed in the beginning half of this chapter. I don't own it! Not mine at all! The clip is the italicized words in this chapter. Not mine! Enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer:**I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. This is only a fan story written by an adoring fan of the Vincent &amp; Yuffie paring!

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**Chapter Five**

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Vincent watched Yuffie as she slept in the seat next to him. She had been complaining about how hungry she was but the warmth of the plane put her to sleep before they even got half way to Reeve's location. A mumble left her mouth as she turned her head to face Cloud. He gave her a smile and shook his head.

"I don't know what we're going to do about all of this," he said and looked out below. "Do you think her husband is going to try and get her back?"

"Most guaranteed," Vincent said and let out a slow breath. "And taking her to Reeve's location could be a bit too obvious. Wouldn't that be the area he would search first?"

"We've already covered that Mr. Valentine," the driver said. His name was Shun and he was a simple kind of man. Shun could use a weapon if needed, but his hands belonged behind the wheel of a plane. "Reeve has a couple of secret locations hidden throughout his land. Every person working under him knows the location of about four or five hideouts. Every other spot is unknown to them. This leaves us unclear as to where people are hidden unless it's in one of the locations we are set to guard. Makes it a bit more difficult for the enemy to find."

"Nice," Cloud said. "It's a little sad though. I thought we were getting over the need of protection."

Shun smiled and nodded. "For the most part we are. But there are still people getting stuck in bad situations. Anything from a bad family fight to someone's life being threatened. It's not fancy, but it's a way to protect people."

"Are we there yet?" Yuffie groaned as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Only a short distance away, your highness," Shun answered as he turned the wheel to aim for the landing a few minutes down.

"Yuffie, my name is Yuffie," she said and crossed her eyes. "Can I just stay hidden away at Reeve's place?"

"No," Vincent said. "We are going to keep you there for only a little while until we can figure out a plan to get this straightened around. With your father no longer around it is your responsibility as a member of the Kisaragi line to step up to this challenge."

Yuffie stuck out her tongue to Vincent and slouched in her seat. "Tifa said things were doing alright with him in charge. Why do I need to do anything to change that? If Dad already gave him the okay to lead, why does it matter?"

"That's what we have been wondering since you've gone missing," Vincent said and looked to Cloud. The original plan was to keep the truth from her for a little while longer. "If he didn't truly love you then all he had to do was put up with you for a month's time and then the land would officially be his even if you chose to divorce. The idea of a male ruling society. There's something much deeper than power on his mind."

"Of course it has to be complicated!" she stomped her feet and then yelped in pain. Her foot was filled with shattered bones unable to stand any amount of pressure applied. "I want a doctor as soon as we land!"

"On it," Shun said pressing a button on the radio of the car.

"WRO headquarters," a female voice called through the speakers.

"Dannie," Shun said. "It's Shun, I am returning to the station with my pickup completed. She'll be needing some medical attention for a couple of injuries. Can you arrange to have someone pick her up?"

"I'll go with her, as well," Vincent said. The idea of hospitals gave him a sick feeling, but that sick feeling also presented him the need to watch out to make sure Yuffie wasn't messed with.

"Mr. Valentine will accompany her," Shun said before Dannie could utter a response.

"Oh, no problem. In fact, Reeve has a couple of our best waiting in the landing building for you. I'll let them know you will be arriving shortly," she said and a beep sounded from the disconnection.

"Thank goodness!" Yuffie gasped and leaned back. "Between my destroyed foot and immobile arm I don't know what I'm going to do!"

Vincent sat back and listened to Yuffie complain. He smiled as she ran through a list of the injuries she obtained through the years. Each one apparently carried its own crazy story. They were forced to cut her stories short until she was inside and under protection.

"Yuffie!" Reeve called as she came through the garage door in a wheelchair. "I'm glad these guys were able to find you. Is there anything you need before we take you to your new home?"

"A doctor," she said glaring at him. "I hurt all over and I think I might pass out. Which brings me to the need of a four course meal! The best you can get!"

Vincent followed the man pushing her into the area containing their hospital's location. She kept talking until she was given a high dosage of pain medicine. Her voice went on and on until it became a mass of slurs. In a matter of no time she was knocked out from the drugs.

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_Yuffie watched Vincent as he slept on the bench in the van. The whole in his chest was completely gone and there appeared to be no other injuries on his body. She always knew he was a bit special compared to the rest of them. It was amazing to see how far his abilities stretched. Chances were those abilities were all thanks to the terrible experiments done thanks to Hojo and Lucrecia. The mad scientist and the woman he loved to no end. It didn't matter all the torture she put him through. If that wasn't love she didn't know what was._

_Vincent's eyes fluttered open and began looking around trying to piece together where he was. He turned to Yuffie and paused to take in her choice of clothes. There wasn't a need to remain hidden in the Moogle costume. She did it only to add a bit of mystery and excitement to the situation._

_"__Morning!" She waved to him with a happy tone to her voice._

_Vincent looked around again in search of his memories. "Where...Who are you?"_

_Yuffie ran through her dramatic introduction. It was spot on to perfect to welcome Vincent back to see he was saved by such a wonderful person! Then a bump in the road was hit causing her to fall backwards and crack her head on the equipment behind her._

"Ow!" Yuffie yelled and sat up in her bed. She put her hand on the back of her head in reaction to the memory she was dreaming about. When she looked around she saw only white. "Where the hell am I?"

"Reeve's hospital," a man's voice called. The dark, inviting sound of the man's voice told her exactly who the voice belong to.

"Vinnie?" she asked and looked to the voice. She blinked several times to clear her sight and find his red eyes. With the meeting of their eyes another form of pain filled her mind. Her memory rushed back and she fell back on the bed covering her head with her hands. "What the heck?!"

"I'll get the nurses to give you some pain medicine before we move," Vincent said looking as if he could feel all the pain she felt. "How do you feel?"

"Like a freaking unicorn," she grumbled sarcastically. She let out a slow breath and sat up. "Have they arrested Derran yet?"

"Not as of yet," Vincent said. "We were trying to figure out the best way to do this and keep you safe."

Yuffie let out a sigh and shrugged. "I'm the queen that was put through attempted murder. Shouldn't that be enough to go on?"

"We aren't sure how deep his hands lie," Vincent said. "We want to keep you hidden here until he can be taken down. There isn't a secure way to do this without risking your safety. Until a plan is set we're stuck here."

"_We're_? Aren't you going out to fight the bad guys too?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent shook his head. "My priority is you."

Yuffie turned her face to hide the blush on her cheeks to his words. Her crush on Vincent had been a come and go thing as they fought together through the years. When she returned to Wutai without a single sign of him feeling upset she knew it was time to let him go. The dreams still appeared much like the one she was woken from in the hospital. Some dreams were memories of real moments together while some were simply fantasies yet to have happened.

"Vincent, can I change into regular clothes before we are moved?" Yuffie asked. She didn't feel like she was one hundred percent, but she was well enough to function in basic tasks.

Vincent placed a pair of clothes on the corner of the bed and left for her to change. They were a simple pair of shorts and t-shirt. Not her usual style, but better than a hospital gown or flashy designs. She whispered her thanks as he pulled a curtain around her bed and stood outside as a guard. Yuffie looked at the clothes then put her attention on her foot trapped in a cast and her arm in a sling.

"Vincent?"

"Yes, Yuffie?" he asked not looking behind the curtain. He was respectable to a woman's privacy.

"Do you know someone around able to help me change my clothes?" she asked with her face turning red once again. "If there's a woman nurse nearby." As if she were casting a spell the curtain flew open to reveal Tifa. She placed a hand on her chest as she breathed heavily.

"Yuffie?" she gasped and pulled her friend into her arms. "I am so sorry it took so long for us to connect the dots. I should have known you needed us."

"Tifa, Tifa," Yuffie comforted her friend with a pat on her head and a smile. "You were the only one who tried to contact me. You did a great job and I'm here now."

"Thank you," Tifa said burying her face in Yuffie's shoulder as she cried.

Yuffie giggled at her friend's random words. "Calm down, Teefs. There's no reason to get so emotional."

"She's been on a roller coaster with all this as of late," Cloud said appearing next to Vincent. "The doctors say it's a bit soon for her to be reacting so much, but Tifa has always been a little bit outside the box of normal."

"Shut up," Tifa said.

"Doctors?" Yuffie looked between her friends confused as to why they were smiling about Tifa needing to see doctors.

"Yuffie, we're pregnant!" Tifa said wrapping her arm around Cloud.

"Seriously?!" Yuffie yelled and wiggled with excitement for her friends. "Get over here and give me another hug!"

Tifa did as Yuffie asked and the gentlemen walked away. Once the curtain was closed again Tifa did all she could to help Yuffie get into some regular clothes. They fought against the cast and thin material of the shorts. Yuffie tried not to wince as they moved her arm through the shirt's sleeve. After a run of harsh words escaping Yuffie's lips, Tifa bit on the sleeve and pulled with her hand. The t-shirt was transformed into a one sleeved top. It was simple enough and no one questioned her appearance as they opened the curtain. Her friends helped her into her wheelchair then pushed her away.

Yuffie gave up keeping track of the men and women she was passed between. When they said secret they meant secret. Finally, when her and Vincent were left alone with the door shut she was able to think straight again.

"If I needed to find someone down here I wouldn't be able to. Half way through the search I would give up," she looked up at Vincent from her portable chair. "How long have these pathways been down here?"

"I have no idea," Vincent said. He grabbed a bowl of cherries and took them to Yuffie for her to eat while he made them some dinner. "Eat these while I cook us something. Reeve said we should have enough food down here to hold us over until the next plan of attack is made."

Yuffie sat back and ate her cherries while Vincent cooked. She was never a big healthy food fan, but the fruits tasted as if they were a gift from the heavens. As she got lost in their flavor she kept her eyes on Vincent as he cooked. He was cooking a mixture of noodles with an odd assortment of peppers and mushrooms. The idea sounded gross but the smell was giving her tummy a different idea. When the meal was ready to be served her mouth was watering from the idea of getting to taste the gift.

Vincent walked over to her wheelchair and pushed her to the two person dinner table. She felt trapped in a way because her entire being would now be dependent on other people for some time. Another part of her was floating in a blissful dream because Vincent Valentine was the one chosen to take care of her. She wasn't sure how much of him volunteered for the job or how much of him was dreaming to get out. All she knew was she would owe him a lot when everything was settled with this matter. Her thoughts died down when she took the first bite of their dinner.

"Vinnie, if you aren't careful I may kidnap you to be my personal chief," she said and took another bite.

"You don't need to kidnap me, but you do need to slow down," he said smiling at the speed she was shoveling the food into her mouth.

She gave him a suggestive gesture then continued scarfing down the food. Throughout their dinner she remained quiet because she was too focused on their meal. When they finished Vincent collected their dishes and placed them in the sink to be washed. He returned to move Yuffie into the living room and picked her up to be placed on the comfortable couch. When she sat down she took his hand before he could walk away.

"Vincent, thank you," she said. "There's probably a lot of other stuff you'd rather be doing right now. I doubt taking care of a jumpy, young woman is something you really want."

Vincent looked to Yuffie with a warmth in his eyes she had never seen before. A warmth so deep she wanted to pull closer to it to feel the heat. "Yuffie, you have always been the only thing I've ever wanted."

Yuffie got lost in his words and was unable to react when he leaned forward to give her a soft kiss. Her heart stopped as her mind made the connection she was getting kissed by the one man she thought she could never have. Before he could pull away she rose her uninjured arm to touch the side of his face and deepened the kiss with a dash of her tongue against his lips. Vincent responded with a matching lick from his tongue. Yuffie's hand clenched onto his shirt to prevent him from moving too far away when he chose to end their kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers as their breathing began to calm down.

"Vincent, I…"

"No, Yuffie," he said and placed his fingers against her lips. "You need to rest. Let me get you into bed. We can talk about this tomorrow if you still wish to."

Yuffie didn't say another word as Vincent wrapped her in the comforter on the bed. She kept her eyes on him as he turned off the light and left the room. It seemed she wasn't the only one battling something inside.

**/\/\/\/\/\**

**I think it's pretty obvious Vincent would be the one to make the first move. Yuffie doesn't think it's a thing and Vincent makes it a thing! Ha! What do you think? I'm happy the romance is finally starting up and can't wait to show you where it's going to take them. Let me know what you're thinking! Please and thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A bit of fluff in this chapter. And some heated moments. Yay!**

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**Disclaimer:**I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. This is only a fan story written by an adoring fan of the Vincent &amp; Yuffie paring!

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**Chapter Six**

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Yuffie's night was a rough few hours often interrupted by the jolt of pain to her movements. She barely got enough sleep to function the next morning. Vincent stepped into her bedroom with clothes provided by Reeve and let out a sigh. It would be fine for her to remain in the clothes she put on last night before bed, but he knew her night had been rough. He could hear her groaning in pain all through the hours. There was no doubt her clothes were covered in sweat. Reeve provided her with a simple pair of sweatpants and a buttoned up shirt. A couple of pieced much easier to put on and take off then those previous clothes he gave her.

"Can't I just stay in these?" Yuffie asked still laying in her bed. "I mean, it's going to be super hard to get out of this shirt on my own. The pants will be no problem since I took notes while Tifa helped me change and realized what to do and what not to do. But the shirt is a no go unless someone is going to help me."

"I'll help you."

"And I know that…wait, what? You will?" Yuffie blushed and was unable to turn her face away from Vincent. "Are you sure?"

"Yuffie," Vincent rolled his eyes, "I have seen a woman's body before. It's not like I'm going to freeze up just because you're naked. We've worked together for how many years. Through those years I'm sure you've seen more of me than I care to know and the same goes for me. It's the simplest way to handle this."

Yuffie sat up slowly as Vincent stepped forward. He unbuckled the sling around her neck and carefully set her arm free. He caught sight of the wince her face made when her hand touched her knee.

"Why didn't they just put your hand in a cast?" Vincent asked. Her fingers were obviously broken under the swollen hand. Of course, her swollen hand could be a factor in it unable to be placed in a cast. The human body wasn't a thing he studied or understood completely. His own being a little outside the average find. "Is it alright if I removed your shirt?"

"Women must have a great time getting into bed with you. You give them enough time to back out," Yuffie teased and stuck out her tongue. Her face froze when his fingers dragged along her cheek and he gave her a warm smile. "Vinnie?"

"I told you last night," he said and moved to his knees so he could grab the bottom of her shirt. He kept his eyes on her own as he removed her t-shirt by ripping from the bottom up. It wasn't a romantic action, and Yuffie's body began to think of something else. "You are the only thing I've ever wanted."

Yuffie couldn't move her face away from his. He stood slowly with his hand traveling up the shirt where it was ripped to the top. The back of his fingers ran along her skin as he pushed the shirt over his shoulders. Before he could give himself too much time to think, he dipped his mouth down and kissed Yuffie one more time.

Yuffie gasped in shock and answered his kiss only a moment after his attack. A quick flick of her wrist sent the remainder of the shirt flying out of their way. Her hand ended on the back of his head as their kiss grew more heated through the passing time. She pulled his body to be on her own. Nothing could prevent them from taking their relationship to the next level.

"Shit!" Yuffie yelled when she made an attempt to move her dislocated shoulder to touch him move. She didn't want their moment to end. The only problem was the pain her body was in. Vincent looked down to her with a facing mixed between lust and grief. "Oh, don't give me that face!" She sat up slightly and licked his lips in a playful manner. "Let's get back to getting me dressed and we'll put our fun on hold. Chances are someone will be checking on us soon anyway."

"I guess you're right," Vincent said. He returned to his caretaker role. It was his job to protect her. To help her with her everyday tasks until a plan could be settled. Their fun could wait until everything was finished. That is only if she would have him though.

"Quit thinking whatever you're thinking," Yuffie said as he pushed in her wheelchair. "I am not going to let you where that face if you want to hang out with me. Although, it's not as if you really have a choice at the moment. You said you would and kind of sealed your fate with me." She giggled and shook her head. "I'm sorry, just imagining you standing in front of all of Wutai is making me giggle. I don't see you leading a country, but we shall see."

Vincent remained silent as he placed her at the table to wait before he made them breakfast. He was planning on simple toast and eggs for their first meal of the day. Nothing big was planned to happen unless their friends found a way to make everything work. It wasn't going to be easy to get Yuffie back into Wutai. Most of the people believed she was dead. Some thought she was never coming back. And some weren't afraid to show their excitement to her stepping down. A young woman without proper years of training was not a woman meant to lead.

"I'm sorry, Vinnie," Yuffie said. She ripped Vincent from his thoughts.

"For what?" he asked as he flipped the eggs around in the skillet.

"I sort of placed you right next to me in the future," she said and gave a small smile. She shook her head as if she were completely out of it. "Seems like I don't quite remember the person you are. You would be pretty miserable up there, wouldn't you?"

Vincent looked down at the eggs as he answered her question without a second to put heavy thought into it. "If you were standing next to me I don't see how I could say no. In case you've forgotten, I am a pretty loyal man when it comes to the things I like."

Yuffie's face fell a little to his well-known words. It hurt her to think about the woman he poured his heart to and how she tossed it aside. He was still so wrapped up in her. No matter how hard she tried, she could never break him from his past. It was what made him the man she loved. That was the total truth. She loved him and was afraid to see when the love would fall apart.

Vincent placed a plate full of her breakfast on the table. He watched as she moved to eat. Her movements were slow with trained poise. It was frustrating to think they still saw him as the man wrapped in his past. Although, it wasn't their fault it was all he had ever been.

"Yuffie." He kept his eyes on her. When she only glanced at him for a second he stepped forward. He pulled her face to look up at him by her chin. "I let go of her when we defeated Deepground. Yes, I loved her. Yes, she will always be a part of my past. But I will do my very best to keep her there. Yuffie, how many times do I need to say it until you believe my words? You are the only thing I want."

Yuffie smiled and shook her head. "But leading Wutai…"

"Must be done by a person of proper blood," Vincent said. "You guys never worked to dig up my past other than my history dealing with Sephiroth. I was born in Wutai and I'm sure my records are somewhere in the content's records. Do you think we could give it a try?"

Yuffie giggled and looked up to Vincent with a smirk. "Are you asking to marry a married woman, Vincent Valentine?"

"It wouldn't be the first time I've thought of it," Vincent said and filled up his own plate. What was with the young girl? How could she get him to joke around like a kid he had once been? "Would you be able to marry a man close to the age of dirt?"

Yuffie burst into a fit of laughs. "That was pretty good!" She took a bite of her breakfast and sat back in her wheelchair with a happy face. "We'll make a cute couple, but first things first. We need to knock Derran out of power."

"Easier said than done," Vincent said. A knock sounded at the door. He left their table with his defenses raised. If they were being attacked the person probably wouldn't knock, but anything could happen. He opened the door slowly and was greeted by Reeve and their group of old friends. "What's going on?"

"We have a plan figured out!" Tifa said. She winked to Yuffie as she walked in with Denzel and Marlene behind her. The two kids were now in the middle of their teen years and no longer kept out of their situations. Denzel wouldn't have that and Marlene was is ever on again, off again girlfriend. "I'm crashing here while the men head out."

"What?" Yuffie looked confused.

"A message was sent from inside the castle of Wutai," Reeve said. "It seems the inside of the works are getting bad. Bad enough for the people to call for help."

"It must be bad if Wutai is stepping outside for assistance," Yuffie said. Her home was always well guarded to only allow problems handled by the people. Asking for help from even the great group of Avalanche was absurd. "What's going on?"

Reeve stepped forward with a laptop and opened it for Yuffie and Vincent to see. He watched as Vincent crouched down with his arm wrapping around Yuffie's back. Much more than protection seemed to happen while those two were left alone. A small feeling of relief filled him before he opened the icon of a camera on the desktop.

"Our people inside set up a wireless connection through many ports to get us this video recording," Reeve said. The video showed a group of young men and woman gathered together in a very large room. It appeared to be the basement of the castle. They weren't crying or upset, but their smiles were only half lifted. "Derran has gathered the homeless through promises of protection and food. The only thing in exchange is their services he requires. Men are often gathered to capture people not listening to his role or to serve as a replacement for a guard injured or dead. The women are used as cooks, servants and any act he requires a woman's body to complete."

Yuffie looked to Reeve in shock. She knew her husband was a horrid man, but these actions were below low. "What should we do?"

"Tifa is going to stay here and protect you," Reeve said. "Vincent we are going to get our old team from Avalanche together and sneak in. A couple of guards are working under our hands. As many spies as Derran holds, we have doubled. Get whatever you need together and meet us in the hallways so we can go set up our plans."

The men all stepped outside to give Yuffie and Vincent a moment of privacy. Even Tifa left them alone. They were not blind to the new things growing between their old friends.

"Yuffie," Vincent didn't stand and only looked to her as he said her name.

"Vinnie, let's pretend like we didn't know this was going to happen," she said and gave a playful wink. "Ah, we have fought together many times before. This isn't something to be afraid over. I know you'll be back and then we can rule together to clean up whatever mess you guys make."

Vincent smirked and pulled his out his gun with the long chain. Yuffie looked to him with a puzzled face. She didn't see it on his body when they first woke up. It appeared he was more of a magic man than she ever knew. He took hold of the charm hanging from the gun with a twist. The metal chain broke and he placed it into her hands.

"The gun feels really odd without that chain in place," he said. He gave his weapon an odd look. "I don't have anything fancier than that for now. But this will have to work as a marking. Yuffie, I love you. Will you marry me once we have your husband tossed aside?"

Yuffie giggled to his words and wrapped her arm around his neck. "Couldn't do things in a normal way, could we?"

"You wouldn't have liked that," he said and kissed her cheek. "I take that as a yes?"

"You better be back in time for dinner!" she said and held the odd charm to her heart. "Knock 'em dead, honey."

Vincent rolled his eyes and kissed her once more before he walked away. It wasn't a clean setting, but it was still a decision they made. He promised himself to her and he knew it was a welcomed gesture. All he had to do was take out the man standing in his way.

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**Ah, it seemed a little rushed to me, but I think it's also cute in its own way. Hopefully, Vincent and the gang can get this settled without any troubles! He has big plans for the future with his one and only, Yuffie! Yay!**


	7. Chapter 7

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**Disclaimer****:**I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. This is only a fan story written by an adoring fan of the Vincent &amp; Yuffie paring!

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Chapter Seven

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Getting into the castle was no problem at all. To that day, the group able to save their world from Sephiroth and Deepground was worshiped on levels of near godhood. It wasn't something they paraded around, but it was an advantage they could afford to take hold. No matter how great most saw them, there were always a few odd ones in the bunch wanting to take them down.

"You do not have a meeting set to see the king," a strong man covered in muscles and armor said with a back as straight as a tree.

"But we carry valuable information about his wife," Cloud said holding back fine details. They would not utter too much until King Fujisha was in front of them.

"Miss Yuffie is dead," the soldier said with a glare. "It is blasphemy to utter false claims to us and give us unwanted hope."

"And who gave you the facts to her death?" Cloud asked ready to take on the stubborn man.

"King Fujisha told us all about her death."

"Oh?" Cloud asked and gave his head a tilt of wonder. "How did she die?"

"They were in the car when the driver passed out from lack of sleep we presume. When they were headed over the cliff off the road, our king jumped out of the back passenger door," the man said with a smile of pride. It was almost as if he were a father bragging about his son.

Cloud smiled and bobbed his head. "I know when I'm thrown into a situation of death I think about only myself and to hell with my wife." He looked over to Cid. "What do you say to that?"

"To hell with the b #$%!" Cid yelled in a false form of agreement. If Shera heard his words he would be missing out on dinner for a week. Hopefully, the words didn't get around.

The gentleman's eyebrows pulled together and he shook his head. "No. No, our king did all he could to save our queen. He would not be so heartless!"

"Jerald, what is going on out there?" Derran asked as he walked through the large doors. He froze as he met the eyes of the men from Avalanche standing in his home. His precious home felt much weaker than it ever had before with the eyes of the men placed upon him. "Ah, good day gentlemen. What brings you into my home?"

"They say they have news about the queen," Jerald said looking to his king with obvious hope in his eyes. He was one of their followers with his loyalty tied tightly to Yuffie's side. A relationship Derran always had to battle to stand above. "Do you wish to hear what they have to say?"

"But of course," Derran said. "Come with me, _friends_. We can have a private meeting in the dining hall. Jerald, gather some drinks for our friends while we talk."

Derran opened the doors to the hall and held his arm out for the group of men to enter. They walked into the room and meet one another's eyes. Something did not feel right. He was being too easy and too kind about all of this. If Yuffie's words were true, Derran would not be so happy about Yuffie's survival. A click sounded as the door was locked behind them.

"So, the idiot survived?" he asked and walked over to a corner of the room. "Such a high fall. I thought for sure I was out of it."

"You admit to attempted murder, then?" Cloud asked standing tall against Derran's relaxed form.

"Yeah, yeah," he waved his hands as if there were a fly buzzing in his face. "What are you going to do about it?"

"All we ask is for you to admit to her surviving and stepping down from your position as king," Cloud said. "Yuffie would like an official separation from you as her husband."

"Ha!" Derran threw his arms in the air. "She can't rule this land on her own! And even if she could she's too much of an idiot to handle it all! She has the mindset of a child! No one can put up with that for too long!"

"I can and I will," Vincent said stepping forward next to Cloud.

Derran eyed Vincent up and down with a knowing smile. "The famous Vincent Valentine. I have heard about you and Yuffie sure spoke about you as if you were able to walk on the sun. I thought you would be a problem in the beginning, but Wutai must be run by a man full of Wutai in his blood."

"My mother grew up in Wutai and met my father in the place, as well. I was born and raised here," Vincent said and rolled his eyes. "Paperwork wasn't well kept back then, but I'm sure records could be found if the matter is really that large of a problem. Step down from your lead, Derran and give Yuffie back her life."

"I will not!" Derran yelled. He held a short knife and slammed it into the wall beside him and sirens sounded through the castle. Shouts were heard and in a short time the dining hall's door were busted down. Derran fell to his knees and pretended to cower in fear. "Help! These fools are trying to kill me!"

The soldiers prepared to attack the men standing around the king. They charged forward and continued their attack on the men. Even if they were from the famous heroes of their land their loyalties would always remain alongside their kings. Swords clashed and guns were fired. Shouts gave out commands while more men charged into the room. It was a losing battle for the old friends until an almost forgotten growl reached their ears.

"Shit," Cloud grumbled as he looked over his shoulder to where Vincent skin was beginning to glow. "Guys, you better back off!"

Another growl sounded along with the full transformation of Hellmasker. It had been a long time since this demon appeared for them. Usually, the beast was the one to jump in first these days. The men fighting against Vincent did what they could to run away before they were hit by the monster's chainsaw. He growled once again and turned his eyes to the main target they were after.

"_GET OVER HERE_!" he shouted in a grumbled tone of anger and power. The monster smirked as Derran could only shake where he stood. "_IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST GIVEN UP_! _COME ON_!"

Cloud had to close his eyes as Hellmasker charged forward with his chainsaw straight into Derran's chest. He knew it wasn't a matter of Vincent failing to take over the beast's control. It was simply a matter of Vincent finally agree with the actions the monster was choosing to take. Vincent wanted Derran dead as much as his own demon. A dark path to continue walking if Vincent wasn't careful.

"Vincent," Cloud said. Hellmasker turned around with his glare softening only a tad at the familiarity to Cloud's face. "Let him come back to us. You've defeated the main source of the problem."

"_OH, THE PROBLEM IS NOT YET DONE, MY FRIEND. OH NO,_" he chuckled deep in his throat. "_THE PROBLEM WILL NEVER BE OVER FOR VALENTINE._"

Vincent's body collapsed on the floor as it took on his human form. His clothing was ripped and torn to shreds. The soldiers looked around and yelled in fear as they ran from the room. Their king was dead and order would fall apart in a matter of time. It wasn't going to be pretty, but everything needed to be sorted out as soon as possible.

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"You killed him?" Yuffie asked and glared at Vincent. She held no intentions of returning as a wife to the man she was married to, but she did not want him dead. That was a fate much worse than what she wished for him. "Why did you kill him?"

Vincent only gave a slight flinch as Yuffie beat the table she sat in front of. "Hellmasker took over and I couldn't do much about it."

"You filthy liar!" Yuffie yelled. "I know for a fact you gained some control over those _things_ the moment Chaos was removed." Vincent watched her mind race around as she grumbled under her breath. "Oh, you are so not getting out of this one!"

"I know," Vincent said and looked down to his shoes. "I'll do what I need to do and go see the court today."

"Oh, no," Yuffie said as her eyes glared at him with a smirk on her lips. "We are going to the court's office, but not for the reason you think. We are going to get the papers to state you are my husband and I am going to torture you. You want to act all high and mighty? Oh, I'll show you high and mighty! Let's go!"

Vincent rolled his eyes and smiled as he pushed his fiancé out of the hospital. As she grumbled through the garage about his immature behavior her fingers fiddled with the chain from his gun in her hands. The first promise he gave to her in their new life together.

"You should be lucky when you think about it."

"How so?" he asked as he placed her into the place to fly them to Wutai.

"We could be having a big, fancy wedding in front of all the people!" Yuffie said with an evil tint to her eyes.

"If you wanted," he said and shook his head. "If it keeps you around then I might be able to put up with it."

Yuffie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I've been here for ages, Vinnie."

"No," he leaned forward and kissed her nose. "You've kept yourself hidden for ages behind some snotty princess. I didn't like her all that much."

"What are you-?"

Her question was ended with a quick touch of their lips. The kiss became more heated as their mouths opened and tongues chose to dance together. It wasn't going to be easy leading with Yuffie by his side, but he couldn't see it working any other way.

"What are we going to do about the murder situation?" Yuffie asked leaning back a bit to speak the worries.

"My queen can punish me after we're married," he said pulled her head in to tease her with a slow lick across her lips. "I think it's going to be a very heated discussion."

Yuffie sat in shock as Vincent placed his hands on the controls to fly them away. She moved back into her seat slowly and was the quietest she had ever been. A large amount of shock with a building amount of passion sent her body on a pulsing ride. It was going to be an exciting life being Mrs. Vincent Valentine.

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**So what did you think of the ending? Wasn't sure if I was really going to wrap it up here, but that was the best way for it to play out. Kind of quick, but kind of worked. Lovey and cute and stuff! Yay Yuffie and Vincent! Love, love, love! Tell me what you think!**

**I'm going to try and put a bit more work towards my own pieces I plan to publish in the future. I have two, tiny books out there. My dream to become a great author is in the works. But I may drop a new story every now and again. Don't worry too much!**


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